Yielding resistance unit for car buffers



R. D. GALLAGHER, JR.

YIELDING RESISTANCE UNIT FOR CAR BUFFERS.

APPLICATmN FILED suLY, 1921.

LQIQSQ, Patented July 25, 1922.

3 sHEETs'-sHF.ET1.

Rl D. GALLAGHER, IR. YIELDING RESISTANCE UNIT FOR CAR BUFFERS.

APPLICATION FILED IULY8, 192|.

Patented July 25, 1922.

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3 SHEETS--SHEET 2.

@wesen R. D. GALLAGHER, JR. YIELDING RESISTANCE UNIT FOR`CAR BUFFERS.

APPLICATION FILED .|ULY8. 1921.

` Patented .Tuly 25, 1922.

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3 ISHEETS*SHEET 3.

RLCHARD LD. GALLAGHER, JR.. OF FLATBUSH, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO STANDARD COUPLER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

YIELDING RESISTANCE "UNET FOR CAB. BUFFERS.

Application filed July 8,

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that l7 RICHARD D. GALLA- oiiun, '.lr.. a citizen of the United States, residing at Flatbush, inthe county of Kings and State of New York7 have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Yielding Resistance Units for Car Buffers; and .l do hereby declare the vfollowing to be a full7 clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. forming part of this specilication.

The objects of the present invention are to provide a self-contained yielding resistance unit which is particularly adapted for use in connect-ion with car buffers. and in the embodiment of the invention adapted for this particular use and adopted for illustrative purposes.. the device is designed to be placed back of the center stem of the buffer and to impose yielding resistance tothe inward movement of that stem. This yield ing resistance is made most effective in the design of the present device by providing` for an inward movement of the buffer for a certain distance against minimum resistance sufficient to keep the buffers together and to impose some retardation on the movement of the cars toward each other7 but which resistance is augmented very much during the intermediate portion of the inward movement of the buffer with a final yielding resistance just before the limit of movement is reached, which will be suffi cient to practically cushion the entire load which can be sustained by the working parts of the buffer mechanism.

In accomplishing the objects aimed at,

the resilient and movable parts of the resistanc'e unit are mounted in a housing which may be` conveniently termed a barrel, although it is more or less rectangular in cross section and made to fit thespace between the frame members of the car, and the said movable and yielding members are so arranged and formed as that when the yielding resistance of the initial movement has reached its desired limit. the secondary and heavier resistance elements will be brought into play and when they have reached the desired limit the final resistance element will be brought into play and at the limit of this movement a solid connection or bearing is afforded which will have astrength for resistance purposes equal t0 Specicaton of Letters Eatent.

Patented July 25. 1922.

Serial No. 483,349.

the strength of the stem of the buffer andv other supporting parts of the car. without setting or destroying the recovery of the spring or yielding members themselves.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,-

Figures l. 2 and 3 are a plan, a side and an end elevation. respectively, of the part which I will herein term the barrel of the resistance unit.

Fig. l is a top plan view ofy the working parts of the unit with the barrel and retaining caps in section.

Fig. is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig, 4.

Figs. 7 and S are a plan, and side and an end elevation. respectively, of the intermediate follower of the 'series of followers.

Fig. 9 is a front elevation of the third follower.

Fig. l() is horizontal section through the same with the final or spring abutment follower in position therein.

rEhe housing or barrel shown separately in Figs. l, 2 and 3 may be conveniently formed of a malleable casting of proper dimensions transversely and longitudinally to tit in the available space in the car framing immediately behind and in line with the center stem of the buffer. lt is conveniently of rectangular' form in cross section with the forward end entirely open and the top and bottom walls cut back from the front end in the form of recesses indicated at A in the drawings. The walls of the barrel are strengthened, and suitable longitudinal bearing surfaces formed by thickened portions indicated at B. B. B2, B3, on the exterior for co-operation with the supporting and enclosing portions of the car framing. and at C on the interior, as shown, for example, in Fig. 3, for co-operation with the movable members or followers within the barrel.

Cap pieces D which may be conveniently struck up from sheet metal are adapted to fit in the mouth of the barrel on opposite sides and to be retained in position by heavy rivets CZ passing through the sides of the barrel and cap pieces, the outer heads of the rivets being located in recesses so as to avoid external projection. These cap pieces D partly close the mouth of the barrel but leave between their adjacent front edges a space or opening, preferably rectangular and of a proper size to permit of the entry of the center stem of the buffer during the period when the buffer is in action and they further function as the retaining means whereby all of the operating parts of the resistance unit are held within the barrel so as to constitute a self-contained unit which may be manufactured and shipped ready for installation.

ln the general scheme of the preferred arrangement of the yielding members of the resistance unit, three sets of springs are employed. One set of springs is relatively lone` and coiiii aratively light and acts first to take up lost motion between the buffers of adjacent cars and offers only a reasonable resistance to the inward movement of the buffer. The second set is also made up of. coiled springs, but of much higher resistance than the first set and has a less range of movement, while the iinal set is prefernblj.,v made up of springplates which will have a very high resistance capacity and a relatively short range of movementY coupled with a considerable additional resistance due to the friction between the plates, thus transferring the yielding movement to the solid bearing against the car frame with a minimum blow or shock underl extreme conditions.

The first set of springs above referred to are indicated by reference letter E, and they are preferably arranged concentrically at the center of the forward end of the barrel, in which position they are retained by seat inc' in a suitable recess or sea-t in a front follower l-l and in an intermediate follower l. This intermediate follower' also has seats in its rear face for the forward ends of the second set of coil springs There are preferablyT twin sets of coil springs F arranged sitle-laysi de. The rear ends of the springs F are seated and guided in openings in the third follower l, and they seat against what might be termed the supplemental or final follower l1. Both thcl followers li and lli bear against the forward face of the first plate of a series of curved spring plates ld. which occup)V the bottom of the barrel, and between which and the bottom wall of the barrel there is interposed a wear plate N. which latter also serves to distribute the strains over thc bottom wall of the barrel and assists in preventing; any possible rupture of the latter.

`Each of [he followers is formed to be ,eguided in its back and forth movements bv the interior conformation of the barrel so as to prevent late 1al displacement sufficient in extent to get the springs or other parts out of alinement and in addition the edges of the walls of adjacent followers are preferably adapted to contact at the moinent when the limit of relative movement is reached ami to thereafter transmit the bulf ing strains without imposing further compression on the spring members. With this object in ",riew.V it will be noted that the normal distance between follower lvl and follower l is considerabl; r greater than the distance between the follower l and follower K, and the spring' E has a correspondingly greater range of movement to take up slack which ma;v exist between the cars, without imposingw too high a buiiug resistance.

The follower H is conveniently formed in section as shown in F ig. 5, wherein it will be noted that` while it conforms generally to the internal outline of the space in the barrel between the cap plates, it is irregular to the extent that it is provided with end recesses h to avoid any Contact or en- `carrement with the heads of the bolts or rivets d and with side.` outwardly-bowed portions L extendingout into the spaces between the longitudinal edges of the cap members and ends of the barrel. The object ot' thc latter construction is tov permit of the use of springs of greater diameter than would bc permitted by the thickness of the barrel, without sacrificing' the. strength of the parts. ln other words. the available space .for the reception of a device of this lrind is limited and the spring referred to should be made of a diameter which leaves but a small margin or space for the location of the walls of the enclosing members. i By cuttingY hack the sides of the barrel and usineT cap pieces as described with a space between their adjacent edges. it thus becomes possible to employ larger springs than would otherwise be the case.y and the device is thus adapted fpr the use of standard springs, if so desiret.

The second or intermediate follower I in which the rear end of the spring set E and the forward end of' the spring set F are adapted to seat, has its forward end extended between the rear ends of the cap .members ll so as to be, in part guided thereby, and its outward movement may be limited by the contact. of shoulders i with the rear ends of the cap pieces D, although, ordinarily, the norn'ial position is such that the shoulders will. be in rear of the ed ges of said cap piece. This forward end of the intermediate follower l', it will be noted from Fig. 8, is also swelled out vor enlarged centrally in the recesses or cutaway portions A of the barrel,

so as to permit of the forma-tion of a spring seat or chamber of large diameter, and the said recess A. is extended back a sufficient distance to prevent any strains being' imposed on the walls of the barrel through contact therewith of the said projections or swelled out portions of the 'follower'7` when driven back under the impact ofthe bufling strain, At its rear edge. the follower l separated from the follower K a distance which `substantially conforms to the desired limit of elastic or yielding movement to be absorbed by the spring sets l?, but the follower K only indirectly taires up any pressure from the springs F. inasmuch `as there is interposed at the rear ends of said springs the f nrth or supplemental follower L. This follower il is of arch-lille formation, passing around and over across piece 7c of the follower il, the projecting ends of the arch or .legs of the follower being adapted to seat on the spring plates M and at the same time the center of the cross piece of the follower l seats against the center of said sinfing plates. lil/'ith this Construction, while the spring sets lf are guided by the follower l they seat directly against the front face of the follower L, and through -the latter the pressure is transmitted both directly to the sining plates near their end and indirectly to the plates at the center through the cross piece of the follower l.

ln operation, owing to this arrangement of the parts.l` it will be seen that there is practically no yielding movement of the spring plates until the limit of elasticity of 'the slnings F is apignfoached or reached, when, as the two followers L and K meet, the pressure will be transmitted through them to the center of the spring plates and the movement or yielding action of the plates will be inaugurated, but the yielding resistance of these parts is so great, due to the strength of the springs and the friction which is maintained between them, by reason of the yielding pressure at the ends of the follower L, that almost any capacity may be provided for withoutpermitting the parts to come up solid. They will only reach the Alimit of elastic movement when the plates Mt' have straightened out against the wear plate N.

ln assembling the parts it will be readily understood that they are to be placed in position successively before the cap pieces are placed in position and that the latter are to be secured by holting or riveting after the springs and followers are all in place. lillhen secured in place and the end follower l-l allowed to return to its seat the center stem receiving face of the follower is preferably arranged to project about the thick- .iess of the walls of the cap pieces, so that the whole structure presents a neat and uniform appearance and may be readily handled as a single unit, either to be placed in new car construction. or substituted for equipment now installed to increase the efficiency of the service.

That l claim is:

l. self-contained resilient unit for car buffers, comprising a barrel open at one end, a series of followers movable longitudinally in the barrel and adapted to contact with each other, spring members normally holding the followers separated and of different yieldin capacity whereby the followers will contact with each ot er successively, a dominant spring ineznher for yieldingly resisting the movement of the followers as a unit when brought togetl1er.y and means connected with. the barrel for pA -lnought together. and. supplemental. follower supported by the dominant spring member and forming an ahutn'ient for resisting the pressure of the follower separating` springs and means for partially closing the openend of the barrel and preventing escape of the followers from the barrel, a face of one of said followers being exposed through the partially open end of said barrel.

A self-contained resilient unit for use on railway cars embodying a barrel open at one end, a series of curved plate springs. a follower resting against the center of said springs for defleeting the same when pressure is applied to said follower, a second follower resting against said springs in proximity to their ends` pressure resisting springs resting against said last mentioned follower, and means for transmitting pressure to said last mentioned springs and to said first mentioned follower and means for partially closing the open end of the barrel. and preventing escape of the followers from the barrel, a face of one of said followers being exposed through the partially open end of said barrel..

4. A. self-contained resilient unit .for use in railway cars, comprising a barrel open at one en d, movable pressure absorbing members within said barrel arranged to act successively therein and comprising a dominant spring set formed of curved spring plates` two separately movable followers cooperat-I ing with said dominant spring member, coil springs resting against one of said followers a third follower for transmitting pressure to said coil springs said third follower having a wall seating against the other follower bearing against the plate springs, whereby pressure will be transmitted to the plate springs directly through the contacting` followers and indirectly through the coil springs and follower against which they abut and mea-ns for partially closing the open end of the barrel and preventing escape of the followers from the barrel, a face of way ears the combination with a barrel open at one end and baring oppositely disposed recesses in its walls extendinginwardly from said open end, Jfollowers mounted in said barrel and having springr seat enlargements extending'l into said recesses, a spring set mounted in said seats between the followers and ca p members mounted in the barrel and embracing;` opposite ends of the followers.

7. ln a self-contained resilient unit for railway Cara the combination with a barrel havingan open end and recesses in its wall extending` inwardly from said open end and Cap pieces mounted in said barrel and partly closing' its opening, of followers mm'ably mounted in the barrel and having transverse spring seat enlargements extending into the recesses and between the proximate edges et the cap pieces,a coil spring set mounted in said seats and oit a diameter approximately the same as the internal minor diameter of the barrel, and yielding' pressure re sisting; members located within the barrel beyond said recesses with which the said followers and springs co-operate in resisting' compressive strains.

S. ln a yielding` pressure resisting` unit for railway cars, the combination of a barrel having' an open end with recesses in its oppositely located walls extending inwardlyT `from said open end, a Alront follower mounted in proximity to the open end of the barrel and having transverse spring seat enlargements extending into said recesses, an intermediate follower having a 'iront spring seat enlargement extending into said recesses and rear plural spring` seats within the unrecessed portion of the barrel7 plural springs mounted in said last mentioned seats, and a single springv set mounted in the enlarged seats in both. said followers.

RICHARD D. GALLAG'HER, Jn. 

